Notes on Stern Frames:With respect to ones ability to row a boat, this is about as inefficient as you can get from the captain's perspective. However, one has to remember that it's all about the paddle crew. Knowing the limitations and knowing a little of the physics involved will help in maneuvering the craft in tight positions.

The concept is inertia or more specifically rotational inertia. Remember double integrals? Lets see, Second area moments or an area times the distance to the centroid squared (1/2*A*d^2) is perhaps the best way to visualize it. The distance from the centroid of the raft to the centroid of the towers is about the only thing in your power to affect. Some used to call it the transfer theorum. Anyhow, minimize the distance and minimize the inertia with all other variables being considered constant. Inertia is the resistance to change or in this instance, change directions. Both the republican and the democratic parties have this problem, hence it's so hard to steer this country. Throw in an inexperienced captain and we may yet........ go over the falls.